Fate
by A Green Crayon
Summary: Aoko's had enough of Kaitou Kid's shenanigans, so she hires some help. Meanwhile, Shinichi is beginning to think all hope is lost in ever getting a cure. Heiji hadn't really wanted to help, but fate seems to have a funny way of bringing people together.
1. The Idea

" _It's what you've all been waiting for, folks!"_

A few clicks of a remote in the hands of Aoko Nakamori, and the bars of volume ticked up across a TV screen.

" _We're here with you live, right at the scene of the soon-to-be crime!"_

Aoko's brows knitted together in serious concentration as she curled her legs up underneath her on the couch in the living room of her house, cup of hot cocoa in hand. She placed the remote down quietly beside her, and moved the hand to grasp the body of the warm mug; all the while not removing her determined gaze from the television.

" _You won't want to miss a second of this, ladies and gentlemen."_ The newscaster motioned with her hand towards a building behind her. _"We're just outside the museum housing the famous gem, the Cora Sun-Drop Diamond!"_

Aoko watched as the camera panned away from the newscaster to the museum where a hoard of people were gathered around like moths fighting for a spot on a lamp post. Police officers were attempting to hold them off, but it didn't look like they were succeeding much.

Aoko puffed out her cheeks in irritation and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

" _This is the location of the heist in the mysterious letter the police received just three days ago. A letter they received from the infamous, magical thief himself. The charming and mysterious, the legendary and miraculous, the one you've all been waiting for, the one... and only.."_

Aoko's eyes narrowed when the camera swiveled back to the newscaster quickly.

" _The Phantom Thief Kid!"_

In her growing sense of contempt, Aoko failed to realize she took too big of a sip from her hot chocolate. The liquid consequently scalded her tongue, and she winced before sticking the appendage out to fan it.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow."

" _It's two minutes before showtime, folks! Thank you for tuning into Nichiuri TV with us tonight to bear witness to another guaranteed spectacular event. Another showdown with the professionals at the Tokyo Metropolitan police force and Kaitou Kid! We hope you're all as excited as we are."_

Aoko simmered down from the burning sensation to glare at the TV again. Excited? She wasn't excited at all.

Once they catch that arrogant guy, _then_ she'll be excited.

"Just you wait, Kaitou Kid. My dad is going to catch you today," she muttered at the screen.

" _While we wait, let's speak with one of the fans!"_ The newscaster exclaimed, then ambled over to the crowd, the camera shaking around behind her as the person holding it attempted to keep up.

The woman tapped on someone's shoulder from behind, and the person turned around. It was a woman who looked to be in her twenties, Aoko guessed, with narrow eyes and high, pronounced cheek bones.

" _Hi! Would you care to give us a few words on how you're feeling about this anticipated showdown tonight?"_ A microphone was then thrust into the bystander's face.

The addressed woman looked a little surprised at first, and glanced at the camera with wide eyes. Eventually she recovered from her daze to point at the camera. _"Will Kaitou Kid see this?"_ she asked of the newscaster.

The newswoman looked delighted to get a positive response. Aoko grumbled under her breath at the display.

All of these news stations were exactly alike. All they wanted were good ratings. Kaitou Kid didn't deserve all this attention.

" _He very well might! Is there something you'd want to say to him if he did?"_ The microphone was then turned back over to the bystander.

The lady looked a little blank after hearing that, and there was an almost tense moment where she didn't say anything.

" _Um, miss?"_ The newswoman asked.

The bystander then sucked in a breath, followed by a slow exhale. Aoko blinked in confusion at the screen. Was that lady all right? She looked a little pale.

" _OH MY GOSH, KAITOU KID, I LOVE YOU! I'LL HAVE ALL OF YOUR BABIES. PLEASE MARRY ME!"_

Aoko scrambled for the remote to turn the volume down. She ended up spilling almost half of her hot chocolate in the process. She could only hope her neighbors hadn't heard all that.

By the time she was able to look back up at the screen from having to grab the nearest cloth to clean up the mess, which just so happened to be her favorite blanket darn it, the woman on the screen had promptly passed out. Probably from a lack of oxygen.

" _Um... okay. Eh heh... Ahem."_ The newswoman backed away from the fainted woman to turn to another one of the bystanders. _"How about you, sir?"_

The addressed man turned to the newscaster with a surprised, _"Hm?"_

" _Is there anything you'd like to say?"_ she asked, still looking a little uncomfortable from the last interviewee.

The man gave an arrogant smirk at the question. _"Something I'd like to say to the Phantom Thief Kid, you mean?"_

The newscaster was back to all smiles. _"Sure! You never know, he might be listening right now!"_ She then proceeded to hand the microphone to him.

The man took the microphone from the newscaster in his overly large hand. He let out a deep, sinister chuckle, and it kind of made Aoko a little uncomfortable. She could only imagine the discomfort the newswoman was feeling.

" _Kaitou Kid..."_

Aoko gripped her blanket in her hands a little tighter, and raised it to cover herself as she suppressed a shiver. That guy sounded like a villain straight out of a B-rated horror flick.

" _I will enjoy the moment when you finally fall,"_ the man started. He then grinned. The sight kind of made Aoko feel a little ill. _"And I will laugh. Laugh until_ _ **my eyes water... as you fall to your death and splatter against the pavement, and all of your bones crack under the strain... when you fall straight to hell!**_ _"_ The guy then began to cackle like a deranged hyena. Aoko stared wide-eyed and terrified at the screen.

Kaitou Kid sure did seem to attract some rather strange... admirers... She almost felt bad for him. Almost.

The newscaster didn't seem to be fairing all that much better than Aoko, and quickly snatched the microphone from the man's hand.

" _O-okay. I think that's enough Q and A with the onlookers. Ahaha... how about we get a brief introduction of the task force's plans to apprehend the criminal?"_ The newscaster then began to look around the area. Her eyes landed on one of the police officers. _"Ah! Here we are, the famed lead investigator himself."_

Aoko leaned forward towards the screen when she recognized the back of the man the news team was approaching. She smiled when her father turned around with a confused look as they approached.

"You can do it, dad! I believe in you!" Aoko cheered with arms raised.

" _Inspector Nakamori-san, is there anything you can tell us about the plans to take down this elusive thief?"_ the news reporter asked before handing him the microphone.

Aoko watched her father turn around completely with a determined expression. He lifted his hand to cough into, clearing his throat.

" _There is nothing that I can disclose at this time,"_ he began, but then he smirked. _"But rest assured, I_ will _catch this thief. His time in the spotlight ends today."_

The newswoman looked somewhat disappointed with the response. _"So there is nothing you can share with the people at home who are watching this now with bated breath?"_

Aoko gave the screen a dry look. That reporter... pestering her dad like that. He was trying to focus!

" _I cannot."_

Her father had said this with such a resolute tone, that it surprised her. It seemed to surprise the newscaster as well.

" _Can you inform the public as to why?"_

Aoko watched, blinking the surprise from her face, arms falling to her chest from her cheering. She could see the resolve in her father's eyes, and it made her smile.

That's right, if anyone could catch _the_ Kaitou Kid, it was her dad.

" _Kaitou Kid is just as you say, elusive. He's a master of illusion and disguise. He could look like a man or a woman. There's no telling if he could be somewhere in this crowd, listening."_ Her dad stated, crossing his arms. _"For the sake of the investigation, I cannot afford to be so forthcoming with that kind of information. I trust that you understand."_

Aoko's face lit up in delight, and her smile widened as she clasped her hands together.

"Oh, dad, you look so cool!"

Even the reporter looked moved by the words. _"Spoken like a true investigator, Nakamori-san. I'm sure the museum's curator feels safer with you here."_

Said 'true' investigator gave a cheesy smile and a laugh in reply. But he quickly reigned himself in.

" _Yes, well, as someone who's been tracking Kaitou Kid down for years now, I know all of his tricks."_

The newswoman smiled in delight. _"Of that I have no doubt, sir. It truly will be a spectacular event to behold."_ The reporter then leaned forward and gave the lead investigator a wink. _"Especially now that Kaitou Kid will have some competition for the spotlight this evening."_

Her father laughed again, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly with a forming blush on his face. _"Maybe, but I think Kaitou Kid will have more competition from the lovely reporter."_

Aoko's cheeks puffed out in a pout as she glared at the TV screen. Was he really hitting on that news lady? How embarrassing.

The newswoman giggled, and waved dismissively. _"Oh stop. You're making me blush."_

" _It's true! Even Kaitou Kid may get so distracted once he sees you that I might be able to catch him effortlessly!"_

"...Dad..." Aoko could feel the vein start to pulse in her temple.

" _Oh! Do you really think so?"_ She heard the newscaster say.

She then watched as her father reached to grab the news lady's hand, bringing it close to his face.

" _Of that I have no doubt, m'lady. Your presence will make this event spectacular to behold."_

Aoko had to resist the urge to reach out and punch the television. She was definitely going to have quite the lecture ready for when her father returned. Especially since he was supposed to be keeping his eyes peeled for the thief, not the newscaster.

The urge almost won out as the news lady's hand got closer to her father's face, and she readied her fist. But before she could hit her father's image on the screen, the hand was swiftly retracted from the man's grasp.

Aoko blinked in surprise as she looked to the newscaster, whose face had went from blushing shy to something quite unsettled.

" _Let's keep this on topic,"_ the woman said quickly with a light chuckle.

Her father also looked surprised, but recovered as he cleared his throat.

" _Right, right. I have to keep my eyes peeled for the thief."_

Aoko nodded vehemently.

When she looked over, the newscaster still seemed a bit... disturbed? Aoko couldn't quite place it, but the woman seemed quite put-off by her father's action, if the almost bluish tint to her face was any indication. She seemed to bounce back quickly enough though.

" _How about this, while we wait for the final moments before showtime, why not give the audience a hint!"_

The inspector looked confused. His face showed it clearly.

" _A hint?"_

The newscaster nodded enthusiastically. _"Yes, a hint! Something that even the Phantom Thief himself wouldn't be able to decipher."_ There was a certain sparkle in her eyes as she gestured dramatically with her arm. _"A hint as to the whereabouts of the famous yellow diamond."_ With a flourish, the newscaster then gestured towards the camera. _"Show the audience the brilliance of the lead inspector of the Phantom Kid heists!"_

Everyone in the crowd started looking over in their direction instead of towards the museum after the loud exclamation. Some excited murmuring amongst the spectators had even started up.

" _You have hidden the gem, haven't you?"_ she asked of the inspector.

All the sudden attention made the inspector look bashful. It made Aoko shake her head in embarrassment.

" _Ah... well... yes..."_ he came back with, looking around at all the excited faces in the crowd.

" _So what do you say, Inspector-san?"_

As the crowd moved closer to the cameras in anticipation, the inspector began to look more and more cowed.

" _Well, I guess one hint wouldn't hurt,"_ he said eventually. Some brave people even began to hold up some Kid signs in front of the cameras. Most of which Aoko refused to read.

" _Oh! Excellent!"_ The newscaster exclaimed. She then moved close to the inspector to shove the microphone in his face. _"So what is it, hm? What's the hint?"_

Her dad looked a little taken aback by the sudden movement. He had to take a step back so the woman wouldn't hit him in the face. Eventually, he cleared his throat again, and when he looked back up to face the cameras, his expression was pensive.

" _Very well then. But I'll only tell you this once."_

The news lady looked awed by the inspector's sudden seriousness. Even the onlookers quieted down to listen.

" _The gem is being held in the safest place it could be. In a place that's in plain sight, but hidden. It's in the center of the investigation, and close to the heart of the museum's dignity."_

Curious faces looked about each other in wonder as soon as the Inspector stopped talking. The man crossed his arms and stood up a bit straighter in the face of the curious murmurs.

Aoko blinked at the screen in curious thought herself.

"...In plain sight, but hidden... in the center of the investigation and close to the heart of the museum's... dignity?" she mumbled to herself, her index finger placed thoughtfully against her chin. "So is it in the museum?" she wondered idly.

Typically that's how her dad operated. Usually keeping the jewels in their rightful place while setting up loads of traps for the phantom thief. He hadn't talked about laying any traps for the thief with her, but maybe he had just wanted to keep it a secret.

" _Ah! What a thoughtful hint. I expected nothing less from you, inspector,"_ the reporter lady said, leaning towards him to send him another wink.

Her father chuckled confidently. _"Of course! If I was any less thoughtful, or said anymore, Kaitou Kid will surely pick up on it."_

The crowd seemed reasonably enthralled by the statement. The newscaster nodded approvingly.

" _You do really seem to know a lot about him."_

The inspector nodded. _"I should. I've been chasing him for almost twenty years now. He's incredibly cunning,"_ he said sagely.

" _Oh?"_

Aoko groaned. Why was this news lady coming onto her dad so strongly? It was really weird.

The inspector chuckled a little nervously, but then regained his composure as he began to discuss Kaitou Kid.

" _He's definitely a cunning thief. That much is for certain,"_ her dad said thoughtfully. _"He definitely owes a lot of his talent as a thief to his ability as a magician. I've never seen anyone able to disguise as another person so effortlessly. And the way he can mimic another's voice? It's incredible."_

Aoko chuckled dryly, giving her dad a halfhearted glare.

 _Careful, dad,_ she thought. _People might think you're a fan._

" _Is that so?"_ the newswoman asked. _"Sounds like you've gotten many close up interactions with the phantom thief. How does he do it exactly?"_

The inspector appeared to ponder on the question for a little bit.

" _Well,"_ he started. _"First he dresses up like the person he wants to imitate."_ The inspector gestured to his attire.

" _Then, he'll disguise his voice."_

Her father coughed to clear his throat before he attempted to mimic a higher pitched voice. It didn't sound all too good. In spite of that, the newscaster seemed to be intently listening to him anyway. Aoko had to give her credit for that.

" _And finally, and most importantly..."_ he began. As he spoke, he reached out his hand. _"He disguises his face with some of the best prosthetics you'll ever see."_ The hand came in contact with the newscaster's cheek, and he pulled with a cheery smile as he explained everything he knew of the phantom thief kid.

What he hadn't expected–and what no one in the crowd, nor Aoko herself, for that matter–was when that pretty face came away with the inspector's hand, leaving behind a much more tan spot of skin in its wake.

The inspector stared. The crowd stared. Aoko stared.

The newscaster with the tear-away face stared.

The inspector was the first to speak and break the awkward silence.

" _K-K-Kaitou..._ _ **KAITOU KID!**_ _"_

Aoko wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a, _"Uh oh."_

With a flick of the wrist, the disguise was off, and a very familiar, white-clad phantom thief appeared. He was quick to run in the opposite direction, however, muttering something under his breath that sounded a lot like, _"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap."_

She heard her father as he bellowed, _"Don't just stand there! Go after him!"_ in his gruff voice.

The order was met with a simultaneous, _"Yes, sir!"_

But the camera wasn't focused on the police. It was focused on the escaping phantom thief. And as Aoko leaned in close, she could swear she could see something glinting in his hand.

Aoko got off the couch to scoot up next to the TV, and as the camera zoomed in, she saw it.

In his hand, the yellow diamond sat.

Aoko sat back on her heels, lifting her hand to turn off the TV. She inhaled slowly, and exhaled a deep breath. She then inhaled once more.

" **KAITOU KID!** "

* * *

"Ah... _ah..._ _ **ah**_... _ **achew!**_ "

Kaito rubbed absently at the underside of his nose as he scrolled through the news with his tablet. It was sitting propped up on his desk, and he grinned like a cat that ate the canary once he got to the good bits. The bits about the phantom thief kid.

It was the following morning of his successful heist, and he couldn't help but revel in his glory a little bit. Who could blame him, honestly? It had just went so smoothly.

 _Newscaster found tied up and sleeping back at Nichiuri station,_ he read with a grin. _Perhaps his best disguise yet?_

Well, it was definitely a good one, but all of his disguises were good.

He scrolled down to one of the headlines to read it.

 _Inspector Nakamori flirts with Kaitou Kid. New all-time low for the head of the phantom thief kid investigation?_

He felt some of his snark droop a little at reading that. Yeah... he could definitely go without that part. He quickly scrolled past it.

 _Kaitou Kid vanishes into the night with the moon at his back yet again._

Kaito grinned a grin wide enough to impress the Cheshire cat as he looked at the flustered face of inspector Nakamori glaring at him from his tablet's screen. It was a pretty good shot, he'd say. A picture of the inspector looking red in the face, either from embarrassment or rage (or perhaps a bit of both), pointing wildly in the phantom thief's direction.

 _You made it all too easy, Nakamori-san,_ Kaito thought with a quiet chuckle. _It wasn't too hard to figure out you hid it in the inside breast pocket of your suit._

His grin only widened when he scrolled to the next photo, one of a card stuck haphazardly into the museum's wall with the trademark caricature of the phantom thief. On it, it read, _better luck next time._

Kaito couldn't stop the giggling once it started.

 _ **Slam.**_

Kaito nearly knocked his desk over at the loud noise. It quickly put an end to his giggling, that's for sure. He looked over to his right in the direction of the noise. It had sounded like the classroom's door being swung open hard enough to hit the wall.

His classmates looked equally as miffed as he knew he must have. Though once he saw the culprit, he wasn't quite as surprised.

Aoko was standing in the doorway looking royally infuriated.

But as he stared at her deep frown and horribly furrowed brow and piercing, angry stare, he had to admit, he hadn't seen his childhood friend look quite so upset before. At least, as he thought on it, not since that one time in their freshman year when he had pretended to trip and grabbed her skirt, but ended up accidentally pulling it _all_ the way down. Had been an honest mistake. Thief's honor.

Aoko stormed over to her seat next to him, and her wrathful stride had Kaito stiffening up and leaning away from her as she sat down harshly, the seat making an angry scraping sound.

When Aoko glared at him viciously, Kaito could feel himself start to panic, and quickly banished all thoughts of pantsing from his mind.

He was fortunately spared, as she looked away from him to glare ahead of herself, crossing her arms over her chest in irritation. He breathed a small sigh of relief. At least that meant that whatever had her panties in a twist wasn't because of him. He'd be sporting a lump on his head by now.

"I can't stand him, Kaito."

Kaito looked over at her curiously once he knew for sure he wasn't going to be hit by any stray objects.

"Hm?" he asked with a curious glance. "Can't stand who?"

She gave him a _look_ , and he recoiled with a nervous chuckle. It was practically an instinctive reaction.

"You know _who,_ " she said crossly. She then looked down at his desk, and he knew her eyes went straight to the screen on his tablet. He gulped nervously.

She snatched the device from his desk before he could even think of reacting, and started to scroll through the page he had been looking at. As she looked through the pages, Kaito could feel a strong sense of impending doom. Especially with the way her face had started to turn red.

"...A-Aoko?" he started cautiously.

Instead of answering him, Aoko slammed the tablet onto her desk with a resounding _thunk._ Kaito winced, then glared down at it. That was a new tablet, darn it. Did it really need to be said as to how his last one broke?

"I can't take anymore of that... that _guy's_ arrogant attitude."

His glare shifted to her.

"He walks around the whole city like he owns it! _Pah!_ It's about time someone put that jerk in his place!"

She had raised her fist to clench it tightly in front of her. When she redirected her heated glare to him, Kaito quickly replaced his irritated expression to something more sympathetic.

"He's a jerk, stringing my dad around like that." Her glare turned more severe. Kaito scooted his chair a little bit away from her. Didn't help him much, though, as she just leaned towards him. " _Right?_ "

"Uh..." he mumbled lamely.

Thankfully he was spared from having to come up with an intelligible response. Whenever Aoko worked herself up like this, she could rant for hours. All by herself.

"He makes my dad look like a fool. _A fool!_ I can't forgive him for that," she said as she moved back into her seat.

Kaito stared at her a moment, observing her thoughtfully. She truly did look especially upset about the whole thing today. He sighed, and propped his arm up on his desk to lean on.

What made this heist so different from the last ones? He knew his alter ego wasn't exactly her favorite person, but he didn't think he had done all that much to the inspector yesterday.

He then heard a sniffle. The sound made him turn his head quickly.

What he saw made him feel guilty. Aoko was sniffling, trying to discretely hide it behind her hand.

Kaito slumped back into his seat. Great. Now he had gone and made her cry. If only he could think of what he had done wrong yesterday. Was it the flirting thing? Heck, he hadn't wanted to do that either.

Aoko's sniffling started to get louder, and it interrupted his thoughts.

"He's... he's just a jerk... You know, Kaito? Why can't he just leave my dad alone?" she mumbled into her hand.

Kaito looked at her, feeling as somber as her expression looked.

What was he supposed to do in this situation? It wasn't like he could just _stop._ And it definitely wasn't like he could just _leave_ the inspector alone. It was more like the inspector wouldn't leave _him_ alone. But as he looked at her, she just looked so sad. He hated seeing her cry like this. Especially when he knew it was his fault.

He tried to smile as he said, "Ah, c'mon, Aoko. It can't be that bad."

She looked over at him, but didn't say anything. She just looked more sad. It made him feel even more guilty.

Yep, that didn't work. He had to cheer her up somehow. But how? A distraction might work. He thought about it for a moment. Then he got an idea.

Kaito tapped her on the shoulder, and when she looked over to him slowly, he had a grin on his face.

She adopted a confused look when she noticed he was holding up a square piece of white cloth with both hands in front of her. When she gave him a questioning look, he just smirked.

First he showed her the front, then he showed her the back. With seemingly nothing else to do, she watched him.

He grabbed the cloth with one hand, and balled up his other into a fist. He then draped the cloth over it. With his now free hand, he wriggled his fingers over the cloth draped over his fist like he was casting some strange spell on it.

"Kaito, what are you doing?" Aoko asked after a moment of this.

He didn't respond. Instead, he took hold of one of the corners of the cloth and pulled it off.

But as his fist was revealed, it was bare, still in the same position, and lacking anything within it. Kaito looked miffed.

"Ah... oops," he muttered, opening and closing his hand, examining it.

Aoko gave his hand a dry look. "I told you Kaitou Kid was a better magician than you," she said.

Kaito didn't respond to the remark. Instead, he just smirked. It seemed to take Aoko by surprise. But he didn't give her a chance to question him as he pinched the cloth in the center with the hand he had revealed, and with a flourish, pulled it. Then, grabbing it by the edge with his other hand, flipped the cloth open. Within it, a red rose sat.

Aoko first blinked, then gasped in surprise.

"Kaito, how did you do that?" she asked in awe.

Kaito just tsk'd.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," he said with a wide grin.

Aoko took the flower from his hand when he offered it to her, a bright smile lighting up her face. All hints of sadness forgotten.

Kaito leaned his chin back against his hand. His smirk softened into a smile.

 _There,_ he thought. _A smile suits you much better, Aoko._

As he watched her awhile, as she marveled over the flower in her hands, her expression made a sudden change.

"I got an idea!" she said suddenly. Kaito gave her a confused look.

"Eh?"

She looked over to him with a grin. For some reason, the expression made him feel uneasy.

"I'll do it!" she exclaimed. Kaito didn't feel any less confused.

"Do what?" he asked.

Her grin turned into a smirk. " _I'll_ catch the Kaitou Kid."

At first, the statement didn't really register in his mind, but once it did, Kaito's eyes widened comically large.

" _What?!"_

Aoko didn't seem to be paying him much mind anymore. She turned back forward in her seat and placed her finger to her chin in thought.

"Dad's always busy with other fraud cases, so he can't spend _all_ of his time searching for Kaitou Kid anyway," she said idly. She looked back over to Kaito with a confident gleam in her eyes. "But _I_ can!"

That looming sense of doom was starting to come back.

"Uh... Aoko... I don't think that's a good idea... I think you should leave the capturing to the police. Why would you want to do that anyway-"

She interrupted him with the sound of a loud thud as she slammed her hands down against her desk.

"I'm a Nakamori, Kaito. The Phantom Thief is my sworn enemy by default. If not my dad, then _why not_ me?"

Kaito's expression had yet to change from comical surprise and utter dread. This was definitely the _last_ thing he needed right now. What just happened anyway?

 _Poker face, poker face, poker face..._

Aoko settled back against her seat with a determined, thoughtful look. "But... I have to think about this carefully. If I'm going to catch a brilliant thief..." she trailed off, her eyes wandering about the room until they landed on the tablet that had been forgotten on her desk. She smiled. "Then I'll need a brilliant detective!" Aoko picked up the tablet and began quickly fiddling with it.

Kaito was eventually able to remember how to properly function, and looked over to Aoko's determined profile. She had a steady gaze directed at the small screen in front of her. She started to mumble to herself.

"There's the sleeping sleuth, Mouri Kogoro! Hm... no... I don't have any money to pay him... hm..." She scrolled through the lists of pages before she stopped on one in particular. Her face lit back up in delight. "Perfect!" she shouted before she shot up out of her seat.

"Uh, Aoko? Class?" Kaito questioned, but his childhood friend just bolted out of the room.

Kaito sighed, and leaned back against the back of his seat. He crossed his arms behind his head.

"Awesome," he muttered. Where the heck had that idea come from anyway?

He glanced over at his tablet that Aoko had left on her now abandoned desk along with the forgotten flower. With another sigh, he leaned over to examine it.

"Just what is she planning anyway?"

He hovered over the small screen, and as he stared, a name popped out at him.

"Hattori... Heiji?"

Now why did that sound so familiar?

* * *

 _AN:_

 _This story is going to be heavily centered around Heiji, Kaito, Shinichi, Ran, Kazuha, and Aoko, while also including a lot of side characters. This story came to me surprisingly easily. I actually quite enjoyed writing it. I hope you guys had just as much fun reading it._

 _Pretty much, this is going to be a full fledged story featuring snippets of ideas that came to me that I really wanted to write about. And they're all going to be shoved into this story. A story in which is going to include the overall plot of catching Kaitou Kid, some of the black organization, and, of course, the relationships between the main characters of this story. It's pretty much going to be my take on the detective conan plot, that obviously has no relation to canon. I just felt that all of my favorite characters of the show didn't really interact as much as I would have liked for them to, so I made this story with the idea in mind to make them all friends! Yay. So they'll all officially meet._

 _Just wanted to give a short synopsis of the direction this story is going to go. I actually wrote it mostly for myself, because I had so many ideas that I wanted to write out so I didn't forget them. I ended up really liking it, so I decided I wanted to share it with people. I hope you guys like it too!_


	2. Detective's Honor

Detective's Honor

* * *

A loud, shrill ring resounded throughout the open space surrounding Kaihou Academy, signaling the end of the school day. Students walked out of the building at a casual amble, chatting amicably with their friends. Their voices filled the air with a tranquil buzz.

One student walked out alone, and he yawned widely, stretching his arms high above his head as he stopped at the front entrance. He shoved one hand in the pocket of his black school uniform pants, and scratched idly at his dark brown hair.

Another one of the students walked out of the school and noticed him standing alone with a vacant and bored look on his darkly tanned face.

"Oi, Hattori!"

Heiji looked over at the other student with a disinterested expression.

"Waiting for your wife?" the student questioned with a couple of suggestive quirks to his eyebrow.

Heiji glared at the other boy, but otherwise didn't rise to the obvious goading. "Don't know what you're talkin' about," he said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, the omamori key chain swinging from the action, and checked the time. Where was that annoying girl anyway? She said she wouldn't be late.

The other student laughed, waving dismissively at him as he passed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." He then glanced back over his shoulder at Heiji. "You've got it written all over your face!"

As the student walked away with a laugh, Heiji glared at his back. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and hunched his shoulders.

 _No I don't... Tch._

He was getting tired of people poking around in his business. Who says just because he stopped at the front doors meant he was waiting on anyone in particular? Maybe he was waiting for... uh... mm... Sachiko-san... or something.

He thought of the girl in question, and just thinking of her and her near obsession with him had him suppressing a groan. Yeah, maybe not...

Or, _or_! Maybe he just felt like stopping at the front doors before he went home. Did they ever think of that?!

Heiji wiped at his cheek a bit absentmindedly. Because, ya know, one could never be too sure.

"Heiji?"

Heiji straightened immediately, adopting a shocked look. He looked over to see the one he had been waiting for running up to him.

When Kazuha reached him, she tilted her head in confusion.

"Why's your face all red?"

Heiji stared at her in surprise, then looked away quickly. He started to walk ahead of her with his hands shoved aggressively in his pockets.

"It's not red," he muttered defiantly. Though he definitely made sure to avoid all eye contact.

Kazuha still looked confused, but just rolled her eyes at him. She didn't bother to pester him about his random red face as she jogged to catch up to him. She slowed down to a walk when she got close.

"Sorry about making you wait, I was talking to our English teacher. I just wanted to ask her some questions about the writing assignment."

Heiji didn't bother to respond. He was content to pout instead.

Kazuha gave him a sidelong glare, but otherwise didn't comment about his silence.

"So, are you going to go to the theater to watch that movie with me? Ya know, the one that just came out?" Kazuha asked him cheerfully.

Heiji continued to avoid her gaze. He carefully directed it towards the cars that drove by them. "Well duh, ahou. Isn't that what you said you wanted to do?"

He could feel the glare that was directed at his head from his response. He didn't even have to look. It was practically burning the side of his skull.

"Don't call me ahou, _ahou._ I was just making sure."

Heiji finally looked over to her, but his expression was unimpressed. "Then don't ask pointless questions."

Kazuha looked far less than pleased, and looked about ready to slap him. She settled for shoving him lightly instead.

"Stop being a jerk, Heiji."

Heiji stumbled before catching his balance enough to walk again. He responded once he was sure he wasn't going to be pushed again.

"Maybe I'd stop being a jerk if you'd stop being an ahou. Ever think of that?" he snarked.

Kazuha glared at him dryly.

"What's up with you today?" she asked.

"I dunno, seeing your face everyday really takes it outta me sometimes."

She shoved him again, this time harder. He bounced on one foot a few times, waving his arms about wildly in an attempt not to fall. He succeeded, but just barely.

"All I wanted to know was if you were going to watch that movie with me," she said through gritted teeth.

Heiji glared ahead of himself. She really needed to keep her hands to herself.

"Blah, blah, blah."

He could definitely feel the glare now. It was burning a hole right through his head. He wouldn't have been all that surprised if his hair started smoking.

"Well are you or not?!" she yelled at him.

He turned to her with a glare of his own.

"I'm walkin' there, aren't I?"

Kazuha seemed to recoil from his somewhat harsh question. Heiji just turned away from her, and started to pout at the cars again.

Freaking Yamamoto. That guy always teased him. Kind of reminded him of Kudo. A bit too much like Kudo.

"...asshole."

He had just barely caught that mumble. He glared over at his childhood friend, about ready to give her a piece of his mind for that comment, rebuttal at the ready, but then he noticed a sad look on her face. The remark died in his throat quicker than it'd spawned, and he was left with his mouth hanging open awkwardly. All that came out was a weird squeak, and he closed it before he made himself look anymore like the ahou he'd claimed her to be.

She had her head down cast, and he bent down to get a better look at her face. She definitely looked sad.

"Are you... crying?" he muttered, half in disbelief.

She glared at him swiftly, and he recoiled, straightening up and putting some distance between them. For safety purposes. He wasn't scared or anything.

" _No_ , I'm not _crying,_ " she said irritably. She then went back to staring forlornly at the ground.

Heiji stared at her suspiciously. After a moment, he dared move back in, eyeing her profile with a critical gaze.

"Why are you crying?" He asked.

She turned on him again, and he braced himself, but she only glared at him fiercely. "I _told_ you. I'm _not_ crying."

Heiji wasn't buying it.

But he knew, if he pestered her too much more, he was liable to get a nasty lump on his head, or possibly a black eye. Or end up in a headlock on the ground with a broken arm. There were many possibilities.

He continued to observe her, albeit silently. What had brought on this sudden sad spell? She was fine just a moment ago.

Heiji wracked his brain through their short conversation in the hopes he could figure out what he'd said that had upset her. It must have been him, right? Nothing else had happened, unless she had thought of something randomly that had brought back a sad memory. No... no... it was definitely his fault. He knew her well enough to know that if she was upset about something that didn't involve him, he'd be the first person she'd blabber to. So it must have been something he'd said or done. Hmm...

Heiji ran a hand through his hair in mild irritation. Why couldn't she just tell him? It'd make things a whole lot easier. Why did it have to be a game all the time? Wait... game... That's it!

Heiji's face lit up into a grin, then he smirked.

This was a test! Now, to prove that he was a good friend, he had to figure it out. Simple. He lived for this stuff.

Okay... now, what had he done to make her upset?

He had waited for her at the end of the school day like he said he would do. So it couldn't have been anything to do with that time. Well, he had stormed off ahead of her, so maybe? But she hadn't been sad then, so that was probably not it.

When she had asked him about their plans, he'd kind of snapped at her. Maybe it was then? But it wasn't like him calling her an ahou was a new thing. She'd never been upset about it before. She'd even returned the insult like she always did.

When she had told him she had just been making sure, and to not call her that, his response probably wasn't the nicest thing he had ever responded with. Okay, so it was pretty rude, but it wasn't anything worthy of getting sad over, was it?

Well, then afterwards, he kind of kept being rude. So it was probably because of whatever prompted her to call him an asshole.

Heiji had crossed his arms half-way through his thought process. He lifted a hand to hold his chin in deep thought. Though as he kept thinking, he didn't feel as if he was any closer to passing this test. He sighed.

At this point in the investigation, when he felt as though he'd exhausted all measures of searching for clues, he'd interrogate the suspects and witnesses.

Heiji cast an inconspicuous sidelong glance at Kazuha. She still looked sad.

Damn it. He couldn't interrogate Kazuha. This was _her_ test.

"I know love dramas aren't really your thing, but if you don't want to go, you could just tell me. You don't have to act like I'm forcing you."

Heiji's eyes snapped over to his childhood friend as she mumbled that. Had Kazuha willingly given one of the answers to her test?

Wait, what?

"Is _that_ why you're crying and acting all mopey?" he questioned in mild irritation. "Because you think you're forcing me?" What a lame test.

She looked over at him, and placed a glare on him so fierce that he actually momentarily considered lying on the ground willingly to save them both some time.

"I'm. _Not._ _ **Crying!**_ "

Heiji quickly held up his hands in front of himself in surrender.

"All right, _all right_!"

By some miracle, he was spared, as Kazuha forcefully tore her eyes from him and crossed her arms. He stared at her curiously.

"Kazuha."

Kazuha adamantly refused to look at him. She just turned her head away stubbornly. Heiji sighed.

"Kazuha, you're not forcing me to go see that movie, if that's what you're thinking."

Heiji peeked at her from the corner of his eye, and smirked when he saw she was looking over at him discretely. Test passed and solved. Easy.

"Well... you just... you didn't seem like you wanted to go," she said with a pout. It made Heiji chuckle, and she glared at him for laughing at her.

"Ahou. If I didn't want to go, I wouldn't go."

His response seemed to make her go all sad again, but he wasn't about to let her recede back into herself, so he raised a hand to flick at the side of her head. It worked, and she was back to glaring at him again.

"Don't start crying again. What I mean to say is that I _want_ to go see that movie with you."

Kazuha looked over to him in surprise, her face taking on a pretty, red hue. She was always pretty cute when she blushed.

"O-oh. You were just... acting all mad so I thought you didn't want to go with me."

Heiji shook his head. "Ahou. I wasn't mad because of you. It was just something that Yamamoto said that pissed me off."

Kazuha looked guilty. "Oh."

Heiji waved off her guilty look dismissively. "I'll go wherever you wanna go, all right? And it's _not_ because I'm being forced to. So don't go thinking that in the future, all right?" Might as well snip that misunderstanding right in the bud.

Kazuha's face took on an even brighter red shine. She looked about ready to burst into flames.

 _If she gets anymore red,_ he thought with a widening grin, _she could hop out there in the road and direct traffic with her face._

His chuckling seemed to bring her back to the waking world. Unfortunately for him, he was too caught up in his snickering to notice the heated glower directed his way.

Before he really knew what was happening, he was on the ground, sporting a forming lump on his head with Kazuha looming ominously overhead.

" _ **Ahou!**_ I _wasn't_ _ **crying**_ _!_ " she exclaimed. She then stormed off ahead of him, muttering all the way.

"Why would I cry over _you_? You're just a... a stupid... jerk! No one would cry over you! Acting all cocky... like people would just cry for you whenever."

Heiji was too busy counting the stars that were spinning around his head to rebuke.

By the time the world had stopped spinning, he had had to run to catch up to her. Once he had, a silent, unspoken agreement was passed between them. One that assured that no more shall either of them assume things, or anything of that nature. And lastly, and probably most importantly, no one shall accuse Kazuha of crying.

Like ever. Just don't do it.

"Oh yeah, Heiji."

Heiji glanced at Kazuha before looking ahead. "Hm?"

"Did you hear about what happened in Tokyo yesterday?"

Heiji gave it some thought. "You mean that Kaitou Kid heist?" he grinned at the thought. "Yeah, I watched the news this morning. That inspector looked pissed."

Kazuha gave him a dry look. "You shouldn't laugh at people's misfortune, Heiji."

His grin didn't abate. "Even if it's _reallly_ funny?"

"Heiji!"

Heiji raised his arms up in surrender. "A joke. It was a joke," he said with a sour grimace. He then straightened. "What about it?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you'd heard about it."

"Eh, yeah. It was pretty obvious where he was hiding the jewel when he gave that hint. Out of all the heists he's attended of Kaitou Kid's, the jewel is either being kept under heavy surveillance where it's being put on display, or it's hiding on his person. The moment he said it was being 'hidden' is when I knew where it was. Didn't even have to listen to his hint."

Kazuha looked over to him. "Oh, so you watched it when it was live last night?"

Heiji nodded. "Yeah, I watched it for a bit. You'd think the inspector would learn."

"Hasn't he been chasing Kaitou Kid for like, twenty years?"

"Something like that."

Kazuha went quiet. When Heiji looked over at her, she seemed to be pondering something.

"Ne, Heiji."

Heiji yawned. "What?"

"Why don't you ever try to catch Kaitou Kid? You're a really great detective. He wouldn't stand a chance against you."

Heiji felt his cheeks flush a bit from the praise. He scratched idly at his cheek as he coughed a little. Mostly from embarrassment.

"Just never really cared to, I guess," he admitted. The thought of catching the renowned thief just wasn't all too appealing to him. Not to say that he wouldn't try if the situation arose and he happened to be around, just that he had no intention of going out of his way for it.

And he wouldn't really go all _that_ far. He was a great detective, that much was for certain, but even Kudo always got a run for his money whenever the infamous thief popped up.

"Why not?"

Heiji looked back over to Kazuha's innocently confused face. He felt himself flush even more. Though this time he wasn't sure why.

"Because... because I'm not gonna go outta my way to catch that guy. Maybe if he decided to steal something in Osaka, then sure. But he typically operates outta Tokyo."

Kazuha looked contemplative as she put a finger to her chin and absentmindedly gazed up at the sky.

"I wonder why that is. Wasn't he an international thief before? Five... or was it six, years ago?" she thought aloud.

As Heiji stared at her, he still couldn't understand why he couldn't control his runaway blush. He decided to ignore it and answer her question instead of trying to figure it out.

"It was eight years ago, actually. And yeah, he was an internationally known thief."

"Oh. So why is he only stealing things in Tokyo? Why doesn't he go to other countries?"

Heiji sighed, and gave it some thought.

"Well, the most likely reason is because he can't."

Kazuha sent him a surprised look, and tilted her head. "He can't?"

Heiji took one look at her face, then quickly looked away. Freaking hormones. That has to be it. That one thought back to the news this morning with that broadcaster lady with the big tits, and now his body was betraying him. Yeah, that's gotta be it.

"Maybe the thief from before and the thief that's here now are different people. Maybe the former thief had more liberties and more freedom than this one."

"You think they're two different people?"

Heiji shoved his hands in his pockets. "Why else would a world renowned thief take off on an eight year hiatus during his prime unless he was... training his kid or something?"

Of course, he was just speculating. Who knew why the thief couldn't steal outside of Tokyo anymore. But it would make sense if he was training his child how to be a thief to take over the title of the Phantom Thief Kid. Because eight years was a long time to decide to randomly go back to stealing. Unless, of course, he stopped stealing to actually _have_ a kid. In which case, there was a little phantom thief junior walking around.

Heiji shook his head.

No, no, no. That couldn't be it. Eight years was an awfully random amount of time to stop thieving. If he really did have a child in the time he stopped being a thief, he wouldn't have needed to stop being Kaitou Kid. Unless he wanted to be there for the squirt's childhood. But if that was the case, wouldn't the squirt still be a squirt? What prompted the continuation of thievery? Seemed like a hazardous profession to have with a child if he had already deemed it too dangerous to the point he would stop for eight years. Something about that didn't make sense.

So, if it wasn't to have a child, then maybe it _was_ to train his kid to be the next phantom thief. And if he _had_ to train his kid to be the next phantom thief, then there must have been a reason he couldn't go on as the Kaitou Kid. Maybe he got injured? Magic tricks would be hard to perform if he had some kind of injury. The Kaitou Kid of today certainly didn't have any such ailments.

"Heiji?"

Heiji looked up in surprise, and turned his head to see Kazuha staring at him.

"You were talking about Kaitou Kid, and you just suddenly stopped."

Heiji scratched idly at the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "Oh, yeah, just thinking," he said.

Kazuha seemed to accept his explanation and smiled at him. She then quickly looped her arm around his.

"Well, we're almost at the movie theater. C'mon, let's hurry! I wanna get some popcorn during the credits!"

Heiji almost tripped as he was pulled roughly along behind the overly excited girl. Honestly, who would be this excited to watch a lovey-dovey chick flick?

Once they made it to the theater, Kazuha rushed to get them in line, practically using Heiji as a weapon to secure a spot. At least, that's what it felt like to him with how she was tossing him around like a rag doll while getting in line.

The line was actually pretty long. Longer than he'd have expected for a chick flick.

"What's this movie called again?" Heiji asked absently.

"This is the sequel to The Red Handkerchief. The first one was really good!" Kazuha responded excitedly back.

"Oh?" Heiji looked around at the other people in line. Most of them, to be expected, were teenaged girls. A lot he recognized from Kaihou. There were a few guys in line too. Almost all of them looked to be dreading the upcoming experience.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt an elbow prod him in the stomach.

"You aren't regretting coming here with me, are you?" Kazuha asked. She looked slightly doubtful. She must have also noticed all of the zoned out faces of the other guys'.

Heiji shoved her back. "What? No. Shut up, ahou. Now pay attention, the line is moving."

Kazuha smiled, and happily moved up in line with Heiji following along behind her.

"By the way... Kazuha?"

His childhood friend turned around with a cheery smile. "Hm?" she chirped.

Heiji didn't share in her merriment, instead looking down, then looking back up at her face.

"You gonna let me go anytime soon? I can walk myself, ya know?"

Kazuha looked down to their interlocked arms, and immediately let him go as if she had just realized she had touched something really hot. Could have fooled him, honestly, with the way her whole body went red as if she'd just gotten burned. From her arms to her face.

"S-sorry..."

"S'all right."

Heiji put his newly freed hand in his pocket.

They were just about a third of the way up in line when Heiji felt his phone start to vibrate.

"Hm?" he wondered aloud as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the caller ID. It was some unknown number.

"Oh, Heiji, who's that?" Kazuha asked when she noticed his phone in his hand.

He shrugged. "Dunno. Unknown caller."

Kazuha suddenly whirled around on him, and it nearly surprised him enough to fall backwards. He managed to keep hold of his balance.

" _No_ cases!"

"...Huh?"

Kazuha glared vehemently at him.

"You heard me. _No_ cases! You promised you'd watch this with me when it came out in theaters!"

Heiji gave her a bored, unimpressed _look._ That was quite the change in tune compared to the, _'if I'm forcing you, you don't have to watch it,'_ she had been blabbering about all of ten minutes ago.

" _Heiji!_ "

"Okay, okay. I heard you. Sheesh. Just hold my place, all right?" he said as he stepped out of line.

He could feel her stare bouncing off the back of his head as he hit the call button and placed the phone next to his ear.

"Hello?"

 _"Mm... oh! Hello! Is this uh... is this Hattori Heiji I'm speaking to?"_

Sounded like a young girl. Probably about his age.

"Yes. What can I do for you?"

The girl didn't respond immediately. She made a sound, as if she were taking a breath, probably to calm herself. Judging by the introduction to her call, whatever she was calling him for wasn't terribly urgent. If it was, she wouldn't be so horribly slow to respond. It seemed as though she wasn't used to calling random people.

 _"You're the great detective of the West, right?"_

She was hesitant. Perhaps calling him would get her in trouble? Perhaps by her parents?

"I am. And you are?"

Another long pause. He supposed she wasn't completely sold on calling him. It was probably something she had worked up the courage to do just before.

 _"...My name is Nakamori Aoko. And I... I..."_ she took another breath, this time to steel her resolve, _"I have a job for you, Hattori Heiji-san."_

His interest was mildly piqued. Mostly because he could swear he recognized that name from somewhere.

"Oh?" He smirked. "Okay, Nakamori-san, I'm listening."

She didn't hesitate as long this time around.

" _There's someone I want you to help me catch."_

Someone she wanted him to catch?

"A thief? Did someone break into your house? I don't mean to sound rude, but shouldn't you be calling the police?"

" _No, no! Nothing like that happened..."_

Now he was confused. She wanted him to catch someone. The word 'someone' implied the thing to be caught was human. So he doubted it was one of those, 'can you help me find my cat, Princess Fluffy? She's been gone for _four days_ ,' scenarios.

...Unless she was _really_ into cats.

But then again, if that was the case, she'd sound more urgent.

Wait... Nakamori... Thieves? Oh no, no. _Hell_ no.

" _I want you to catch... Kaitou Kid."_

"No."

There was a series of splutters on the other end of the line.

" _N-no? But! I can find a way to pay you! ...I don't have a lot of money though."_

"I'm sorry Nakamori-san, but I can't be bribed. I don't work for money."

She sounded genuinely let down by the immediate refusal. It kind of made him feel _a little_ bit guilty. There was no way he was going to run around Japan chasing a phantom thief, though. No way. No matter how guilty it made him feel.

No wonder her name sounded so familiar to him before. He remembered now. She was the dang daughter of that crazy inspector.

" _...Is there anyway I can change your mind, Hattori-san?"_

He sighed.

"I'm sorry, but chasing after Kaitou Kid would be too large of an endeavor. It could take me days, maybe even weeks. Probably longer, depending on how often he sets up his heists. And I couldn't even guarantee you that I'd catch him. The amount of resources and time I'd need far exceeds the amount I have to give. Between going to school and my limited access to resources that the police already have, I just can't do it-"

" _But everyone says you're the best!"_ she interrupted. _"I don't know who else to ask..."_

Heiji idly scratched at his cheek.

"You're pretty serious about this, aren't you?"

There was a brief pause.

" _Yes."_

He sighed again. This wasn't a conversation he had ever expected to have.

"I'm sorry, Nakamori-san, but I don't think I'll be anymore capable than the Tokyo police," he said, and made a move to run his free hand through his hair. She didn't immediately answer him, and after another long pause, he continued. "But if it'll make you feel any better, you can consult me whenever a heist pops up. You can use this same number."

The girl on the other end sounded like she was sniffling. Heiji slumped forward.

Why did she have to make it seem as if he had just crushed all of her hopes and dreams. Why did girls always have to do that?

" _Okay... I understand."_

But did she really?

"I'm sorry." Jeez, how many times had he said that already?

"Heiji!"

Heiji turned around at the sound of his name. He saw Kazuha almost near the ticket booths. She pointed to the line, then at him, then she shrugged. He held up his finger in an attempt to tell her to give him a second. Then he turned back around.

Sheesh. Impatient much? Why were women so crazy?

" _It's okay. I know that what I'm asking for is a bit much."_

 _Just a bit?_ He thought sarcastically.

" _I think I'll go ask the Sleeping Sleuth, Kogoro Mouri then."_

Heiji felt an uncontrollable twitch start up in his brow at the mere mention of the, 'Sleeping Sleuth.' Why would she ask _that guy_? He couldn't deduce his way out of a wet paper bag without Kudo.

 _"I hear he's the best in possibly all of Japan."_

...The best? In _all_ of Japan? Wasn't that a bit of an exaggeration? Kudo wasn't _that_ good.

 _"I just don't think I'll have enough money to pay_ him, _though, you know? I just feel like I'd be wasting his time."_

Oh, so _his_ time was just collateral damage. Makes sense.

" _I was going to ask him first, actually,"_

...he was the _second_ choice?

 _"but I didn't think he'd accept my request. Being a high school student doesn't offer much in the way of... 'resources,' ne, Hattori-san?"_

Heiji started to cough, or choke, or gag, he wasn't sure.

" _But I guess... the worst he could say is no. I suppose it's worth a try. Thank you for at least listening to me, Hattori-san. I'm sorry I bothered you."_

Before she could hang up, he spoke, and his voice came out raspy, forced, and deep.

"I'll do it."

" _Huh?"_

Heiji felt his irritation bubbling over. He was practically simmering in it.

"I said, I'll do it. I'll take your case."

He'll show _her_ who the best detective in all of Japan is. _And_ him.

" _Y-you will? What changed your mind?"_

He could practically see Kudo's smirking face in front of him.

"Not important."

" _Oh, thank you, Hattori-san! You have no idea how much I appreciate this!"_

"Don't mention it."

" _I'll give you my address so we can discuss anymore necessary details in person. Oh! And I'll text you my personal cell number so we can keep in touch in the meantime!"_

"Ahuh."

" _Oh, I'm so excited! Oh, oh, right! I don't have any money to pay for your basic amenities or housing while you're in Tokyo..."_

Heiji smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. They stayed irritated. The thought of Kudo's giant, _empty_ house came to mind.

"I'll take care of it."

" _Oh, all right. I'm sorry I have to do that to you, Hattori-san."_

"S'all right."

" _Oh, oh, I can't think of anything else. Is there anything else? Ah... Oh! How soon will we be able to meet? The sooner the better."_

"I can come now."

" _Oh, now? That's perfect! My dad will be home, he can tell you more about the details of Kaitou Kid. All right then! I'll see you soon, Hattori-san. I'll text you my address and phone number now!"_

"'kay."

" _Bye bye!"_

Heiji didn't even get another word in before the connection ended.

He let out an irritated sigh. Since he was definitely going to take on this case now, he'd have to tell his parents. They probably wouldn't be too thrilled when he told them he was going to be skipping school. Probably best to fly over to Tokyo, then break the news to them.

No, nope, no, not a good idea. They'd fly over and haul his ass back for sure. Maybe he could convince them if he could get Kazuha to collect all of his homework for him while he was away.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and he checked to see the text from Nakamori-san. The text was littered with cute emojies and smiley faces.

What if... what if he went to whatever school Nakamori went to while he was there? If he remembered right, they were in the same grade. But what school did she go to again? Tch, he should have asked. He ended up hitting reply on the text message he just received.

 _What school do you go to, Nakamori-san?_ He typed in and sent.

 _Ekoda high school. Why?_

Damn, so it wasn't Kudo's. That meant he couldn't bum a uniform off him. Would have been perfect. He wasn't using them anyway.

 _Do you have any spare uniforms for guys?_

Worth a shot.

He got a quick reply.

 _No, but I can get some! Are you planning to attend a school around Tokyo under cover?!_

 _Something like that._

Well, he'd think on it. He could always go to Kudo's high school in the meantime. For now he could head over there and check out the situation. See what he could do immediately, worry about living situations and schooling later.

" _Heiji!_ "

Heiji felt his eyes nearly pop out of his head when he widened them. That scream had been _right_ next to his ear, and now it was ringing.

Kazuha walked in front of him, waving two tickets in front of his face.

"What the heck are you _doing_? I got two tickets like five minutes ago!"

Oh shit. He forgot about Kazuha. The Kazuha of the right now.

"Uh..." he mumbled, then started to chuckle sheepishly.

"C'mon, let's go! The credits are probably almost over by now. I didn't even get popcorn yet." She started to walk off, but when he didn't follow her, she turned back around.

"Kazuha..."

Kazuha finally looked at him. Like _really_ looked at him. Her eyes were quick to narrow.

"Heiji, what was that phone call about?"

Heiji desperately tried to find something to look at. _Anything_ that _wasn't_ Kazuha.

"Okay, listen, I have a really good-"

"You accepted a case, didn't you?"

Damn it.

"...No...?"

" _Heiji!_ "

"Now hold on, just let me explain!"

Kazuha, however, didn't appear to be having any of his well crafted excuses. She walked back over to him, grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt, and started to pull.

"You'll have to call them back and tell them that you'll do it later. My movie is about to start, dang it."

He, of course, resisted.

"Wait, Kazuha."

Kazuha turned to look at him. He tried to put on the most innocent, puppy-dogish looking face he could muster. He could only hope that it would be enough to get him spared.

"What?" she barked.

"I, uh, I told them I'd be there now."

There was a long, pregnant pause. Kazuha stared at him with an unreadable expression. It honestly made him more worried than her usual angry ones. Not knowing what she was thinking was more scary than her rage.

"Heiji." She sounded so calm. But if he knew anything about Kazuha, and he did, a lot in fact, this was the mere calm before a very terrible, awful storm.

She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Then she looked at him again. Heiji waited with bated breath. This was the moment of truth. This moment would tell how he would walk away from this situation. In one piece, or multiple ones.

And then it came. Very quickly.

" _What the hell is_ _ **wrong**_ _with you? I told you_ _ **NO CASES, and what do you do?! You take a case!**_ " Kazuha exclaimed, grabbing him by the collar of his uniform to shake the sense right out of him. " _ **You PROMISED me, Heiji Hattori!**_ "

He tried to get a word in, really, he did, but it was hard to talk when he was being shaken like a bobble head toy.

" _ **I've been waiting all year for this movie, and I JUST got the tickets, and now you tell me you took on a case right before it STARTS?!**_ "

"Ka-zu-ha!"

" _ **I can't BELIEVE you!**_ "

People were staring at them now. Most out of curiosity (the girls), the rest out of understanding (the guys).

Just as soon as the storm had hit, it subsided. Kazuha released him, leaving him to flop down on the ground in a disheveled pile of limbs.

When he recovered well enough to sit up, he saw she had turned away from him, giving him only the sight of her back.

"Tell me," she started, a lot more quietly now. It certainly got his attention. A lot more than even when she had yelled right in his ear. "Is it... is it really important? That case."

Heiji stood up carefully. He eyed her posture critically. She had her arms behind her back, one she held by the elbow with the other. It was a defensive sort of posture.

He started up that idle scratching of his cheek again. Force of habit, he supposed.

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't have taken it otherwise."

He saw her slouch. She looked a little defeated.

"More important than... me?"

Heiji was quite taken aback by that. His brain had trouble registering it. Eventually it just crashed, leaving his mouth high and dry. It tried it's best to save face, but ended up floundering like a beached fish, no sound coming out.

When his brain _finally_ turned back online, probably to see if it was safe to come out now, it was too late.

"Never mind. That was a stupid question. Forget I said anything."

"Kazuha..."

She waved dismissively.

"Forget it, forget it. That was embarrassing. Go... go do your case." But as she said this, she still had yet to turn around. "I can get this on DVD when it comes out. We can watch it then."

"Kazuha."

She didn't respond to him. Instead, she attempted to walk away. Emphasis on attempted.

He grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her to him, because there was no way she was walking away from him all sad like that. They'd _just_ talked about this. Or... sort of. The silent agreement heavily implied that they had.

He spun her around to face him.

" _Kazuha!_ "

She stared at him, and he noticed her glassy eyes and red face. So he opened his mouth to speak.

Unfortunately, this was as far as his brain had gotten before it conveniently shut off again.

"Uh."

Kazuha pulled herself out of his grasp, and he let her go without much hassle.

"Just go solve your case," she said quietly, looking away from him to some spot on the ground.

He inhaled sharply, resolutely, and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll make it up to you, okay?" he told her.

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

"Yeah, whatever."

Heiji glowered, but not at her.

 _Thanks for nothing, brain._

He stood where he was, a bit unsure. She just waved him off.

"Go on," she said eventually, once she seemed to realize he couldn't take a hint.

Heiji slowly started to jog off in the direction of his house, but once more he turned around. Kazuha had turned away from him again. He chewed on his lower lip.

"I'll make it up to you!" He called out to her. "Detective's honor!" When she cast a sidelong look over her shoulder, he gave her a confident smile. "Tomorrow! We'll watch that movie! The Red Notebook! Here! So don't worry!"

With that, he ran off.

He didn't notice that she had turned around to watch him go, or how the more and more disappointed she started to look the farther and farther he moved away.

"It's handkerchief." she mumbled. "The Red Handkerchief."

But he was much too far away at this point to hear.

* * *

 _AN:_

 _I love Heiji. So much. This was really fun to write. And I already threw some minor drama in there, so yay. It'll come back to bite our favorite Osaka couple in the arse later. Should be fun._

 _In response to a review I received, for anyone else who might be curious, this story is going to be centered around their canon relationships. HeijiKazuha, ShinichiRan, and KaitoAoko. But also their friendships, of course._

 _Should be no surprise which POV of which couple will be up next. :D If anyone has anymore questions concerning this story, feel free to ask. I will answer._


End file.
